Can Snape really be trusted?

[Hammi]

I think snape can be trusted but it doesn't mean we have to like him

[Haplo]

DD says hes a o k JKR says t okeep a watch on him..

hmmmmmmm

Well think im gonna go with DD. JK seems to like to points us in the wrong direction occasionally to keep us on our toes.

I kind of like the guy anyways. :o)

[MorningGlory]

There's more to Snape than meets the eye. He's got his flaws, sure, but he is not evil. He's just misunderstood. He hasn't truly ever recovered from being "Snivellus" as a child. He harbors adolescent fears and hides inside of himself.

Dumbledore is an excellent judge of character. He would never allow Snape to give Harry occlumency lessons, or teach in the same school as him, if for one second he thought that he might be a threat to him. Dumbledore has a "grandfather's" love for Harry.

Although Snape is hard on Harry because he reminds him of James, I think that Snape actually really likes Harry. I think he knows that Harry is not at all like James was at his age (picking on those less fortunate than he and such), and that all-in-all, he's a pretty good kid. He just doesn't want him to get a big head or any grand ideas.

If Snape wanted Harry dead he would have let Quirrel do it for him on the quidditch field and kept his hands clean to boot.

[Pr0nGs]

Hmm... In book 4, when the DE's returned to Voldemort, he said that he believes one has left him forever, Snape. I am not seeing how he is still spying on Voldemort. They know he has turned. Or is he acting like he is spying on Dumbledore?

[Andromeda_Black]

How can Snape be a spy for Dumbledore when voldermort knows he has turned to the good side? Remember Quirrel in the first year! Voldermort was in his head, he knew snape was against him! And if Voldie can get inside Harrys brain then he will be able to see Snape teaching occlumency, and so I dont see how Snape's strength at legicilimincy will be any use to him! Voldermort and Lucius are not stupid, they would not trust Snape unless they had very good reason to think he was on their side.

I dont trust Snape, i'm not sure about him being pure 'evil' but there is definately something about him not be trusted. Ive said this before but why does everyone attach so much importance to Dumbledore trusting him? Dumbledore has been wrong before.

[braggyboy]

Well, there seems to be two different opinions here, the first being that Snape is fooling Voldemort and the Death eaters, and the other being that he is fooling Dumbledore and Harry etc. However, like Andromeda says above, Voldemort is also not a fool, and when he talks about 'one who i believe has left me forever,' this could refer to Karkaroff or snape.

[FreyaCrescent]

Originally posted by braggyboy (original post)
Voldemort is also not a fool, and when he talks about 'one who i believe has left me forever,' this could refer to Karkaroff or snape.

Yeah, I think he's referring to Snape there. If my memory serves correctly, Voldemort is referring to Karkaroff when he says there is "one too cowardly to return".

I believe Snape can be trusted if Dumbledore believe he can. He doesn't seem the type of guy who would defend Severus' past if he didn't firmly believe he had turned away from that. Snape serves a vital role in The Order as a spy, he'd have to be trusted for that.

As for Umbridge's comment, I agree that Snape would have to keep up some kind of act with the Malfoy's so not to raise too much suspicion. I doubt Lucius Malfoy even knew Snape had renounced Voldemort until GoF.

[illuminati]

I still think Snape had a thing for Lily, and Voldemort killing Lily gave Snape every reason to become turncoat and why DD would so whole-heartedly trust Snape without question

[migo]

^ I still think Malfoy is the weak link in all of this. He trusts Snape and Snape takes advantage of that.

Snape isn't to be fully trusted but I like him exactly because he never was one of those "Harry Rulez" kind of guy.

[Insomnia]

Severus can be trusted, I think. You all know perfectly if someone swapes sides he can't be completely trustforthy. However... Albus Dumbledore is not a person to be outwited. If Lord Voldemort who is almost as powerful as Dumbledore can't do that then someone like Severus Snape particularly can't do it. And I really trust that Severus has his full loyalty for Albus.
I only wish to know what is so convincing for Headmaster...

About Sev and Lucius: it's very useful to have a friend like Lucius Malfoy in these days, isn't it? I mean- not real friend. Maybe Severus managed to convice Lucius with something, I suppose? Maybe he make Malfoy believe he is spying on Dumbledore and he gives Lucius false informations?

[Severely Snapped]

Originally posted by Andromeda_Black (original post)
Ive said this before but why does everyone attach so much importance to Dumbledore trusting him? Dumbledore has been wrong before.

Because any other time that DD has been wrong, he has indicated either before or after the fact that he had some doubts along the way. It is made abundantly clear that DD has NO doubts about Snape's trustworthiness. His words make it clear--"He is now no more a Death Eater than I am"--and more importantly, his actions: he would never let Snape assume the duties he has for the Order if he had any doubts about him at all.

And (GODImgetting tiredofsayingthis) Rowling never said we shouldn't trust Snape, she said we should keep an eye on him...which she's been saying for five years now.

[desecre_demorte]

Just curious, but when has JK Rowling said that we shouldn't put too much trust in Severus Snape? I know she's said something along the lines of "But don't think Snape is too nice..." and "Keep your eyes on old Professor Snape...." but she never outright says to not trust the character. I know there was recently an interview/Question/Answer session with one of the essay winners of the whole JK Rowling appearance deal, and he said Snape isn't to be trusted...but perhaps that is simply his interpretation of the phrase "Don't think Snape is too nice..."

I personally think Snape can be trusted. His character and goodness has been thrown into doubt time and time again (especially in the Philosophers Stone and Order of the Phoenix)--and he has come through on several occasions. Yet people continue to doubt him...lol.

Cheers,
Desecre Demorte

[Angora]

I think he can be trusted in certain situations, and generally the more important it is, the more trust I would place in him.

That is to say, in his role fighting Voldemort, I would trust him, but if we were just sitting around and he said "Here, drink this" you'd better believe I wouldn't drink it.

The only exception is that he has a personal little neurosis about how people were mean to him in school, so sometimes when he's in a situation that reminds him of that (the end of PoA, or whenever Harry speaks ) he doesn't exercise the best judgement.

His relationship with Lucius confuses me, mostly because I don't feel like I really understand Lucius. And I can't think of a time we've ever seen them interact in the books. Have we?

[Andromeda_Black]

Severely Snapped- when did Dumbledore indicate that he had doubts about Quirrel and Wormatail? he let Quirrel teach and Wormtail join the order which was a big mistake! He thought that someone in the order was a spy but i dont ever remember him saying that he suspected Wormtail.

My reasons for not trusting Snape are just based on things in the books and an instinct. I dont take any notice of wat JK sais, i think she likes to play with us and put us of the scent so i would probably be more suspicious if she said, "Oh snape, he's great isnt he!"

[harp230]

As far as I remember we only hear of them interacting from someone else's perspective. Like Draco, or Umbridge or Sirius, and we really cant trust their judgements. All of them have their own agendas and opinions so we can not gauge their intrepretations as solid evidence as the the nature of Snape and Lucius relationship. Dumbledore does trust Snape highly and we can have faith in that. Ultimately, Snape will do the righ thing even if he is a jerk about it before then.

[[Pretty]_[Unicorn]]

Snape probably still thinks highly of Voldemort but is aware of the things he has done which are downright evil making him switch sides. Voldemort has done horrible but great things (Olivanders). Snape respects the guy but won't fly the way Voldie flys. And Snape probably joined Voldemort to get rid of Lily Evans to hurt James as much as possible.

[Draco Serpensortia]

Well, I know that Snape is a fictional character and all but somehow, I believe he's indeed back on the good side of things. Unpleasant as he may be, it might just be the way he was around the Dark Lord and the other Death Eaters, and because he knows full well that the children of some Death Eaters are in his House, he's putting up a sort of front in front of them, in case their parents ask about his disposition or personality. But even I doubt my thoughts.

[vickygirl4]

I think Snape joined Voldemort to get power and respect. But he didn't really know what he was getting into. As soon as he saw all of the horrors that Voldemort was doing, he went back to DD. I really believe that Snape is on the good side now. I doubted him for the first four books, but now for some reason I trust him. Offcourse, with my luck, now that I think he's good he will probably turn out bad.

[ninakix]

i dunno. he did do a lot to save harry's life. he couldve easily lead harry straight into the hands of voldemort by now, dont you think?
but then again, we do notice that he really hasnt done THAT MUCH since voldemort has come back.

[STaRRy MaRauDeR]

*yay the forums are back* anyways...now that thats said and done...i really dont trust our good ol' buddy snape...but then *and dont shoot me for this* im not so sure how much i trust dumbledore's opinion anymore...he didnt tell harry about the prophecy which would have saved my precious sirius. he just trusted that everything would be ok still even without harry's knowledge of trewlawny's prophecy. since he screwed up on that *and yes i know that nobody's perfect* can he really be trusted to know who snape is really spying for? i say no